Happy Endings: Finishing the Edges of Your Quilt by Mimi Dietrich

the appropriate stitches for your project .
    Hand Stitches
    You can use hand stitches to sew patchwork or appliqué designs, to stitch the front and back of the quilt together, to connect binding strips, to make covered cording, or to sew the binding to your quilt. Use a secure running stitch to sew the layers of fabric together.
1. Cut a single strand of thread about 18" long and tie a knot in one end.
2. Using a Sharp or milliner’s needle, or a Between if you prefer a shorter needle, take two or three short running stitches at a time, sewing in and out through the layers of fabric to hold them together. Make a small backstitch every 2" to strengthen the running stitches. End your stitches by sewing two small backstitches, bringing the needle through the loop to secure your thread.

    Quilting Stitches
    Quilting stitches are short running stitches used to sew the front, batting, and back of your quilt together.
1. Thread a Between quilting needle with an 18" length of hand-quilting thread and tie a single knot in the long end of the thread. Insert the needle through the top layer of the quilt about ¾" away from the point where you want to start stitching. Slide the needle through the batting layer and bring the needle out at the starting point.
2. Gently tug on the thread until the knot pops through the fabric and is buried in the batting. Take a backstitch and begin quilting, making a small running stitch that goes through all three layers. Take two, three, or four stitches at a time, trying to keep them straight and even.
3. To end a line of quilting, make a single knot approximately ¼" from your quilt top. Take one more backstitch into your quilt, tugging the knot into the batting layer and bringing the needle out ¾" away from your stitches. Clip the thread and let the end disappear into your quilt.

    Basting Stitches
    Basting stitches are used to hold layers of fabric together while you sew the final seam. They are usually removed after the seam has been sewn. Basting stitches are long running stitches, stitched with the “ins” and “outs” approximately 1" apart. They are usually stitched one or two stitches at a time. You do not need to make knots or backstitches because you want these stitches to be easy to remove later.

    Finishing Stitches
    Use the blind stitch—sometimes called the appliqué stitch—and the slip stitch—sometimes called the ladder stitch—to finish the front and back of the quilt without binding, after turning the back of the quilt to finish the front of the quilt, or after applying binding or special finishings. These stitches are invisible when your quilt is finished.
    Use the following suggestions regarding needles and threads for a perfect finish to your edge treatment:
Use a Sharp or milliner’s needle, or use a Between if you prefer a shorter needle.
Start with a single strand of thread approximately 18" long and tie a knot in the long end.
Use a single thread; double thread tends to twist and weaken the stitches.
Match the thread to the binding if your binding is a different color than your quilt.
Match the thread to the front of the quilt when sewing the front and back together.
Match the thread to the back of the quilt when finishing prairie points, ruffles, lace, and cording.
    Blind Stitch or Appliqué Stitch
    A blind stitch is appropriate to use on all areas of the binding. It is used when you make your own binding or when you use the quilt backing to finish the edges. This stitch can also be used to sew the back of the quilt to prairie points, ruffles, lace, or cording. The blind stitch is a good stitch to use on details such as folded mitered corners or at the end of the binding. It is traditionally used to sew appliqués to background fabric.
M IMI ’ S F AVORITE
I love the blind stitch! It’s really the traditional appliqué stitch. I love to finish the binding cuddled up with the quilt in my favorite chair, with my favorite bright light and a cup of tea.
1. Bring your